1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat pipe hinge structure to dissipate a heat from a heat generating component such as CPU accommodated within a pair of housing portions, which is applied to an electric device such as a note book type personal computer, the housing portions of which is coupled through a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed.
2. Description of Related Art
There is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Application No. 10-187284 (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cPrior Art 1xe2x80x9d) a heat pipe hinge structure for an electric device, which is applied to a note book type personal computer (hereinafter referred to a xe2x80x9cpersonal computerxe2x80x9d), for example, as this kinds of heat pipe hinge structure for the electronic device.
FIG. 18 shows a schematic view of the heat pipe hinge structure of the Prior Art 1.
In Prior Art 1, the hinge structure to pivotably couple a CPU side housing portion 112 and a display side housing portion 114 in a personal computer comprises a hinge member comprising a portion 138b in a condensing side of a heat pipe 138 fixed on the CPU side housing portion, and a hinge member 152 fixed on the display side housing portion.
When the heat pipe 138 receives the heat from the heat generating component 124, the heat is transferred through the condenser section 138b and the hinge member 152. The heat thus transferred is further transferred to a heat transfer block 168 in the display side housing portion through the heat pipe 166 and the evaporator section 166b, and dissipated there toward the surrounding area.
More specifically, the evaporator section of the heat pipe is connected to the heat transfer block placed on the CPU in the CPU side housing portion, and the heat pipe extends into the display side housing portion through the circular bore 148 formed in the CPU side housing portion. The metal hinge member 152 is fixed on the display side housing portion, and the condenser section 138b of the heat pipe is inserted into the slotted portion formed in the hinge member 152. The so-called slotted forming is applied to the above-mentioned slotted portion in the hinge member 152, and the condenser section of the heat pipe is pivotably held with appropriate sliding resistance through a frictional material layer disposed within the slotted portion in the hinge member 152.
The circular bore 148 and the slotted portion of the hinge member 152 are disposed in such manner that the opening and closing axis of the housing portions in the right hand side hinge mechanism is in accordance with that in the left hand side hinge mechanism. Accordingly, the opening and closing of the housing portions is guided by means of the pivot of the metal hinge member around the condenser section of the heat pipe in the hinge mechanism.
The heat pipe is formed so as to implement the heat transfer by the use of vaporization of the working fluid enclosed in the interior of the container. Accordingly, the heat generated by the CPU is transferred to the hinge member through the heat pipe when the personal computer is operated. The thus transferred heat is dissipated to the display side housing portion which temperature is relatively low. In this personal computer, another heat pipe is disposed so as to transfer the heat from the hinge member to the display side housing portion, thus improving heat dissipating effect.
The heat pipe hinge structure of the personal computer in the Prior Art 1 has the following problems.
Firstly, since the metal hinge member 152 closely contacts with the display side housing portion 114, when the temperature of the heat generated by the CPU is high, the heat transferred by the heat pipe is transferred to the conductive hinge member 152, and further to the display housing portion 114 through the contacting portion thereof, thus the temperature of the contacting portion in the display side housing portion becomes excessively high. In addition, when the heat pipe directly contacts with the circular bore 148 formed in the CPU side housing portion, the temperature of the portion in the vicinity of the circular bore in the CPU housing portion becomes excessively high. Accordingly, the scope of materials to be designed for the display side housing portion and the CPU side housing portion becomes narrower.
Furthermore, concerning the coupling structure of the heat pipe and the hinge member, since the condenser section of the heat pipe is hold within the slotted portion in the metal hinge member, as described above, the condenser section of the heat pipe has to be inserted into the slotted portion along the opening and closing axis of the housing portions when the personal computer is fabricated. On this case, the heat pipe is already installed in the CPU side housing portion, and the metal hinge member is already installed in the display side housing portion, respectively, thus the fabrication of the personal computer becomes very difficult.
Furthermore, concerning the strength of the heat pipe hinge structure, the opening and closing of the housing portions is guided by the heat pipe which has a hollow structure therein and the strength thereof is not sufficient, thus there is a problem in which the heat pipe may be possibly damaged.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a heat pipe hinge structure for an electric device in which the temperature of the specific portion is prevented from becoming excessively high, the fabrication thereof is simple and easy, and such problems as the damage of the heat pipe is prevented from occurring.
The inventors have intensively studied to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art. As a result, it was found that when the heat pipe hinge member is arranged on the housing portion so as not to closely contact the housing portion, and in addition, when another heat pipe is installed on the heat generating component so as to distribute the heat therefrom, i.e., the heat is not excessively concentrated to the heat pipe hinge member, it is possible to prevent the specific portion of the housing portions from becoming excessively high.
Furthermore, it was found that when the heat pipe hinge member includes a heat pipe receptive groove in which the heat pipe is to be received, and a heat pipe fixing member to elastically fit the heat pipe hinge member from the upper side in which the heat pipe is received so as to pivotably hold the heat pipe in the heat pipe receptive groove, the heat pipe and the heat pipe hinge member can be coupled by simply placing the heat pipe into the heat pipe receptive groove and fitting the heat pipe fixing member on the heat pipe hinge member, when fabricated.
Furthermore, it was found that when the heat pipe hinge member and the hinge portion is coupled to form the hinge mechanism which guides the opening and closing of the housing portions, the opening and closing of the housing portions is implemented by the hinge mechanism without the heat pipe, thus no excessive force is applied to the heat pipe so as to prevent the damage of the heat pipe from occurring.
The invention was made on the basis of the above-mentioned findings.
The first embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure for an electric device comprises:
(1) a heat pipe hinge member made of a heat-conductive material disposed at a coupling portion in which a pair of housing portions to be opened and closed are coupled, said heat pipe hinge member comprising a heat pipe hinge main body to receive a heat from a heat generating component disposed in one of said pair of housing portions, and a heat pipe holding portion provided in a vicinity of said heat pipe hinge main body to pivotably hold at least a part of a first heat pipe disposed in other of said pair of housing portions; and
(2) a hinge portion to fix said heat pipe hinge member on at least one housing portion of said pair of housing portions.
The second embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure for an electronic device comprises:
(1) a heat pipe hinge member made of a high heat-conductive material disposed at a coupling portion in which a pair of housing portions to be opened and closed are coupled, said heat pipe hinge member comprising a heat pipe hinge main body to receive a heat from a heat generating component disposed in one of said pair of housing portions, and a heat pipe holding portion provided in a vicinity of said heat pipe hinge main body to pivotably hold at least a part of a first heat pipe disposed in other of said pair of housing portions; and
(2) a hinge portion made of a low heat-conductive material to fix said heat pipe hinge member on at least one housing portion of said pair of housing portions.
The third embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge main body includes a holding bore to securely hold one end portion of a second heat pipe, said heat pipe hinge main body receiving said heat from said heat generating component through said second heat pipe, and said heat pipe holding portion includes a heat pipe receptive groove for pivotably receiving said part of said first heat pipe and a heat pipe fixing member made of elastic material to press said part of said first heat pipe received in said heat pipe receptive groove.
The fourth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge main body further includes a connecting portion to connect to a heat transfer plate member which transfers said heat of said heat generating component, and said heat pipe holding portion includes a heat pipe receptive groove for pivotably receiving said part of said first heat pipe and a heat pipe fixing member made of elastic material to press said part of said heat pipe received in said heat pipe receptive groove.
The fifth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge main body further includes a connecting portion to connect to a heat sink which transfers said heat of said heat generating component, and said heat pipe holding portion includes a heat pipe receptive groove for pivotably receiving said part of said first heat pipe and a heat pipe fixing member made of elastic material to press said part of said heat pipe received in said heat pipe receptive groove.
The sixth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge main body is integrally formed with a heat transfer plate member which transfers said heat of said heat generating component, and said heat pipe holding portion includes a heat pipe receptive groove for pivotably receiving said part of said first heat pipe and a heat pipe fixing member made of elastic material to press said part of said heat pipe received in said heat pipe receptive groove.
The seventh embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe receptive groove in said heat pipe holding portion is provided in said heat pipe hinge main body.
The eighth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said hinge portion is disposed in one housing portion of said pair of housing portions in which said heat generating component is not disposed, and said heat pipe hinge member is fixed by said hinge portion without contacting with one housing portion of said pair of housing portions in which said heat generating component is disposed.
The ninth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said hinge portion is disposed in said pair of housing portions respectively, and said heat pipe hinge member is fixed by said hinge portion without contacting with one housing portion of said pair of housing portions in which said heat generating component is disposed.
The tenth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge member is fixed by said hinge portion without contacting one housing portion of said pair of housing portions in which said heat generating component is disposed, and a third heat pipe to transfer the heat from said heat generating component to a prescribed another location is disposed in said heat transfer plate member integrally formed with said heat pipe hinge main body or said heat transfer plate member to be connected to said connecting portion of said heat pipe hinge main body.
The eleventh embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat sink includes a cooling fan in an interior thereof to transfer said heat of said heat generating component out of said housing portions.
The twelfth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat sink includes another heat pipe.
The thirteenth embodiment of the heat pipe hinge structure comprises the heat pipe hinge structure, wherein said heat pipe hinge member is fixed by said hinge portion without contacting one housing portion of said pair of housing portions in which said heat generating component is disposed, and a third heat pipe to transfer the heat from said heat generating component to a prescribed another location is disposed on said heat generating component.
The first embodiment of the cooling device for an electronic equipment comprises:
(1) a heat pipe hinge member made of a high heat-conductive material disposed at a coupling portion in which a pair of housing portions to be opened and closed are coupled, said heat pipe hinge member comprising a heat pipe hinge main body to receive a heat from a heat generating component disposed in one of said pair of housing portions, and a heat pipe holding portion provided in a vicinity of said heat pipe hinge main body to pivotably hold at least a part of a first heat pipe disposed in other of said pair of housing portions;
(2) a hinge portion made of a low heat-conductive material to fix said heat pipe hinge member on at least one housing portion of said pair of housing portions; and
(3) a heat sink to be connected with said heat generating component and said heat pipe hinge main body so as to transfer said heat of said heat generating component out of said pair of housing portions.
The second embodiment of the cooling device comprises the device, wherein said heat pipe holding portion includes a heat pipe receptive groove for pivotably receiving said part of said first heat pipe and a heat pipe fixing member made of elastic material to press said part of said heat pipe received in said heat pipe receptive groove, and said heat sink includes a cooling fan in an interior thereof.
The third embodiment of the cooling device comprises the device, wherein said heat sink includes another heat sink.